


Old Ghosts (What we left behind in the fire)

by RosesPink



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, ill update the tags as we go, more characters will show up and when they do the character tag will be updated, same with pairings really, simply because i have no idea what is in store beyond a few key points, so this will be an adventure for all of us lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:55:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28595073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosesPink/pseuds/RosesPink
Summary: Jack often dreamt of fire. That day in Switzerland would forever haunt his memories as it tore away his love and his sight. But dead men aren't supposed to walk once more amongst the living- so why is Gabriel still here? And why is it now that he has decided to make his move?
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Old Ghosts (What we left behind in the fire)

**Author's Note:**

> first off- so this aint beta read, so if there any mistakes please let me know.  
> secondly- very sorry for not posting anything for a bit. i have a ton of wips and plans, so at least there's that?  
> this particular fic has been sitting for a bit, so im glad to finally get the first chapter done tbh. this one will be short though, maybe a few chapters but idk how long it will actually be. if you have any suggestions for this fic, please put it into the comments- i would love to hear from yall!  
> if you enjoyed this fic thus far, please leave a comment! they are my bread and butter tbh and really motivate me to write more.

_Smoke was the first thing he smelled when he came to. Thick and curling and harsh to his lungs. Darkness was what he saw next. He could faintly see some light, dancing around the corners of his vision from where he lay on the cracked ground, but other than that, nothing. At first he thought it was because the smoke was so thick, until he moved._

_With great effort the man rolled himself onto his side, groaning at the searing pain licking up and down his body. No doubt from the explosion, then from the fire that raged around him. As he moved, the man realised that he indeed couldn’t really see anything. At this realization, panic started to grip him._

_But the soldier was quick to shake himself out of it. He couldn’t afford to panic now, he needed to find Gabe and get out of the burning wreckage that used to be the Switzerland HQ. Jack began searching around on his hands and knees, ignoring as best he could the pain in his body and the blood slowly dripping down his face._

_“Gabe!?” he called out, voice rough from the smoke. “Gabe! Where are you!?”_

_He sluggishly recalled what the room looked like before- where the furniture had been, which way he thought the door was. As he kept calling out for Gabe, Jack eventually found the door, using it to reorientate himself and began searching the room again, this time having a better idea where everything would ideally be._

_It didn’t take long for him to find the body._

_His fingers clumsily make contact with Gabe’s face, scratchy beard somewhat intact on the man's face that felt burnt. Jack pulled himself over and checked for a pulse, choking back a sob when he didn’t find one._

_“No, nonono, Gabe, come on, breath!” Jack hacked a few times before weakly trying to perform CPR, pushing on the other man's chest. Anything to save his long time friend, the man he loved fiercely but never told. Over and over, he tried to revive Gabe, tears streaming down his face, cutting through soot and ash. Nothing._

_“Gabe, nononono- wake up! Wake up, damn it! You can’t die here, not now. Not before we could fix our friendship, not before I could tell you! Wake up!” The soldier shouted himself hoarse, collapsing finally on the other man’s corpse._

_“I love you Gabe! Wake up already, don’t leave me here!”_

_“Jack! Jack where are you!!!”_

_Jack stilled at the achingly familiar voice of Ana Amari. It was impossible, Ana Amari was dead, killed by the Widowmaker over a year ago. It had to be his mind playing tricks on him, or her ghost had come back to haunt him like the three of them always joked it would. And yet….. and yet it couldn’t be. The hands that suddenly found him were far too real to be his mind playing tricks, or for her ghost to be back to haunt him._

_“Jack- oh my God, Gabriel!” Jack could hear the shock in her voice. “Jack we need to get you out of here, the bomb was meant for both you and Gabriel. We need to go.”_

_As the woman started pulling on him, Jack clutched tightly to Gabe, unwilling to let the man's corpse be left to burn here while he escaped. But he found he couldn’t hold on. His strength was draining fast- he had no choice but to let himself be dragged out of the burning room by an impossibly alive Ana Amari, whispering a final goodbye to a man he couldn’t see before losing consciousness._

* * *

Jack often dreamt about that day, more times than he would care to count. It was a nightmare come true, and one that would haunt him for the rest of his days. If only he had listened to Gabe instead of brushing him off, things would have never happened like that. Gabe would still be alive and Jack wouldn’t have lost everything. 

Overwatch would never have fallen, and maybe Ana Amari would never have needed to fake her own death just to escape Talon. Unfortunately, none of it happened the way he wished- dreamed even- and now he was stuck living with the consciences of his actions- or rather, his inactions.

Old bones creaked as he rolled onto his side in his sleeping bag. Currently the soldier was camping it out in Dorado, chasing down his newest lead on Talon. A lead that, in the morning, would lead him at last to his elusive informant. The last few years have been harrowing for Jack- between living off whatever he could scrounge up and fighting off Talon and their pet mercenary Reaper- he could feel the years being shaved off, with the only physical proof of this fact was greying hair and creaking bones.

Ana had aged better than him by far.

“I can hear those bones of yours all the way over here Jack.”

Speaking of Ana. The woman had appeared out of nowhere again. 

“It’s what happens when they go past their expiration date Ana” he groans out, rolling back onto his back. With a grunt, Jack sits up, his spine cracking and popping as he goes.

“That sounds bad Jack, you should consider sleeping in better places- and maybe also consider not sleeping with your visor on, that has to hurt.” Ana ducks into view, rifle missing and a thermos in hand. She must have left her gun by the entrance. Maybe not the best idea, but considering it must be around 4 or 5 in the morning, judging by how dark it is still, Jack doesn’t get onto her about it.

“Ana, I don’t get that luxury. More importantly though, why are you here? I thought you were still in Egypt.” As he speaks, Jack rolls his shoulders and stretches out his back. Ana drags a small box over and sits down with a grunt, handing the thermos over to him. Upon opening it, the distinctive scent of green tea hits his nose and makes him frown at her. All he gets in return is a cheeky grin before it settles into something far more serious.

“I came to find you and let you know that Winston has activated the recall.”

Silence hangs heavy between the pair, Jack taking the time to process the information and to suppress his immediate reaction- anger. Winston must have a good reason as to why he reactivated Overwatch, especially after the Petras Act.

“Figured Winston would be smarter than that” is all Jack can say, tongue feeling heavy in his mouth. It’s not all he wants to say, and Ana knows it. Knows him well enough to know that he is barely holding in his harsh words.

“Seems like Winston either got desperate or something is happening” is all Ana says.

It’s quiet for a few moments again before-

“What do you want to do about it Jack? Winston is smart. He wouldn’t risk this if there wasn’t a very real and present threat.” 

“I hate that you're right.” And with that Jack, stands up and takes a sip of the green tea Ana had brought him. While he would prefer coffee, one does not simply argue with Ana Amari. 

“So,” he says, handing the thermos off to the other. “Are you going to be hanging around then? Could use the company.”

Ana gives Jack a sly smile and says “Yes. After all, someone has to keep an eye on you.”

Jack gives a small huff in response and shrugs on his jacket, a small smile gracing his lips as he places the bottom portion of his mask on. 

“I’m meeting a contact later today. They said I can’t bring anyone with me.”

“Then I’ll stay out of sight Jack.”

“And your distance Ana.”

The older woman rolls her good eye, standing up from her seated position and leaving the thermos behind. 

“I’ll keep my distance Jack, but that doesn’t mean I won’t still have your back.”

Jack gives a curt nod. It’s nice having the sniper around. Besides the company of an old friend, the woman was a deadly shot, and it made the old soldier feel better about meeting up with this particular contact.

“Lets get this show on the road then.”


End file.
